Briefs
A Profile of Islamic State’s Balkan Recruiter: Genci Balla
Following the demise of the Islamic State (IS) territorially, authorities across Europe are grappling with serious questions regarding the return of foreign IS fighters. Countries have followed a variety of paths in dealing with returnees. These include judicial proceedings and jail time for those arrested,... MORE
Former Syrian Rebel Becomes Putin’s New Spearhead in Battle for Idlib: Who is Ahmad al-Awdah?
In August, the al-Assad government reportedly began to deploy a significant number of former armed opposition fighters, approximately 2,000, from southwest Syria against Islamic State (IS) affiliates in the southwest Syrian governorates of Dara’a and Suwayda (Syria Net, August 26; Enab Baladi [Dara’a], August 17;... MORE
Russia’s Favorite Syrian General: Tiger Forces Commander Suheil al-Hassan
The man who has the strongest Russian support in Syria might not be President Bashar al-Assad but rather one his most trusted commanders. During his visit to the Khmeimim Air Base in Syria last December, Russian President Vladimir Putin held a meeting with senior Russian... MORE
Mufti Noor Wali Mehsud: The New Ideologue-Warrior Leader of TTP
News of the death of Mullah Fazalullah, the most wanted man in Pakistan and Emir of Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan (TTP), in a U.S. drone strike in Afghanistan brought a sigh of relief to many in Pakistan (The Hindu, June 15). Up until his death, the notorious... MORE
Abu Jihad: A Brief Profile of Islamic State’s Russian Propaganda Master
On August 10, 2015, the Office of Foreign Assets Control of the U.S. Treasury Department implemented an executive order sanctioning three Russian citizens involved in terrorist activities. Among the individuals mentioned on the sanctions list was North Caucasian militant Abu-Jihad, one of the key Russian-speaking... MORE
Stabilizing Hudaydah: A Look at the Pragmatic Leadership of Tihama Resistance Brigade Commander Shaykh Abd al-Rahman Shuae Hajari
On July 1, the United Arab Emirates (UAE) and Saudi Arabia–led multinational coalition announced a pause in its campaign to capture the strategic Yemeni port city of al-Hudaydah (Twitter, July 1). Coalition officials, including senior members of the UAE government, argued that the cessation in... MORE
Three Key Players Shaping Moqtada al-Sadr’s Further Expansion Into Iraqi Politics
In the May 12 Iraqi parliamentary elections, a party led by the anti-American Shia cleric Moqtada al-Sadr, Sa’iroon (Marching Forward), won the most seats. The electoral alliance Sa’iroon placed way ahead of electoral slates led by incumbent Prime Minister Haider al-Abadi and former Prime Minister... MORE
Hafiz Mohammed Saeed: The Lashkar-e-Taiba Founder’s Quest for Political Legitimacy
Hafiz Mohammed Saeed, the firebrand founder of the terrorist group Lashkar-e-Taiba (LeT) and its charity front Jamaat ud Dawa (JuD), remains free in Pakistan. Legendary for his anti-Western and anti-India rhetoric, Saeed is known for his longstanding obsession and support for the Kashmir militant movement.... MORE
Libya’s Video Executioner: A Brief Profile of LNA Special Forces Commander Mahmud al-Warfali
Islamist militants have long used the power of videotaped atrocities to terrorize their opponents. One man believes he can do the same in the interests of Field Marshal Khalifa Haftar’s attempt to gain control of Libya: Major Mahmud Mustafa Busayf al-Warfali, a senior officer in... MORE
Terror in the Sulu Archipelago: A Profile of Filipino Abu Sayyaf Leader Yassir Igasan
The Abu Sayyaf Group (ASG) of the southern Philippines has always found itself perched on a fine line between Islamic jihad and organized crime. [1] Active since the early 1990s, some factions of the group are devoted solely to kidnapping-for-ransom, though some leaders have tried... MORE